So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Held like water in you shaking hands
Are all the small defeats a day demands
10 to 6 or 9 to 5
Trying, dying to survive
Never knowing what survival means
Leave the apartment to buy alcohol
Hang our diplomas on the bathroom wall
Pick at the plaster chipped away
Survey some stunning tooth decay
Enlist the cat in the impending class war
Let's lay our bad day down here, dear
Let's make-believe we're strong
Or hum some protest song
Like maybe "We Shall Overcome Someday"
Overcome the stupid things we say
Say I needed more than this
Say I needed one more kiss
We left that light on way too long now
Let's plant a bomb at city-hall
Let's kill an MLA
We'll talk the night away
You call in sick, I'll quit the word-games that I play
I swear, I way more than half believe it when I say
That somewhere love and justice shine
Cynicism falls asleep
Tyranny talks to itself
Sappy slogans all come true
We forget to feed our fear
Are all the small defeats a day demands
10 to 6 or 9 to 5
Trying, dying to survive
Never knowing what survival means
Leave the apartment to buy alcohol
Hang our diplomas on the bathroom wall
Pick at the plaster chipped away
Survey some stunning tooth decay
Enlist the cat in the impending class war
Let's lay our bad day down here, dear
Let's make-believe we're strong
Or hum some protest song
Like maybe "We Shall Overcome Someday"
Overcome the stupid things we say
Say I needed more than this
Say I needed one more kiss
We left that light on way too long now
Let's plant a bomb at city-hall
Let's kill an MLA
We'll talk the night away
You call in sick, I'll quit the word-games that I play
I swear, I way more than half believe it when I say
That somewhere love and justice shine
Cynicism falls asleep
Tyranny talks to itself
Sappy slogans all come true
We forget to feed our fear
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I think he's making fun of all the recent college grads and the disillusionment stage that is sure to follow life in the ivory tower.
I agree, I'm an undergrad and I just rented my first house with some friends and I can see how being in the same life style without going to school anymore would epitomize this song. We have a futon as our living room couch, one of my room mates does go out to drink all the time to get through all the bullshit. The drama and " word games" are overwhelming as all my friends try to date the same girl. We all have strong political ideas but don't like the conflict so never talk of them or do anything to change shit... <br /> <br /> "Hang our diplomas on the bathroom wall. Pick at the plaster chipped away, survey some stunning tooth decay, enlist the cat in the impending class-war. " <br /> <br /> haha we need to paint our house but we just chip away at the bad paint in the basement. my one room mate's lone is 2 weeks late and instead of getting a job he just bitches about bureaucracy. <br /> <br /> point is I love this song.
this is an amazing song
Like all Weakerthans song's this one has an amazing ring of truth beauty to it. It's one of my favorites.
I love this song. I know thats a pretty generic comment: so I'll specify, this song is beutiful in the way it changes, the way that he half cynically sings the last part, and how the theme changes during that, into this totally bitter optimism... fuck its wicked.
It doesn't get any better than The WeakerThans, And The WeakerThans doesn't get any better than this song. It is one of my favorites, and the line "Cynicism falls asleep. Tyranny talks to itself. Sappy slogans all come true. We forget to feed our fear." is my favorite WeakerThans lyric.
that line is probably my favorite lyric ever
It's the little things about the Weakerthans that blow me away. Samson is great with details. For example, if you listen closely to this song, he sings:
"Let's lay our bad days down here, dear ET ... " "Let's plant a bomb at city hall ET ... "
"et" is the Latin word for "and" (from where we get the ampersand "&").
i'm pretty positive he sings "let's" after those lines, mister fakeestate. hate to shatter that one for you.
but, you're right; the weakerthans are all about the small details. i really do love how the literary quotes in the liner notes of all their albums slowly start to tie into the lyrics of each and every song.
can't wait for a new album.
"You call in sick, I'll quit the word-games that I play." I love that line.
Yeah, I think this song is John looking at his own life and having a bit of fun with it. Anyone who has ever been involved in leftwing politics can probably appreciate the sense of despair that comes with a line like, "Enlist the cat in the impending class war." But that's what makes the Weakerthans great: they're able to acknowledge the full spectrum of human emotion, and not stick to one feeling, like say rage at injustice, the way most political bands do.
Great lyrics and a great song. I like that the song is up-tempo, but rings sad for the majority of the time, yet ends with a hopeful notion. The Weakerthans excel at this and so much more.